Here – Here – Have A Have A Thesis!Thesis!

A Practical Guide to A Practical Guide to

Thesis StatementsThesis Statements

www.teacherweb.com/AZ/AJHS/LynneCoulter/Haveathesis.ppt, modified by Rebecca Oberg, modified by Rebecca Oberg

What is a What is a THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT??

►A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT is your is your written written OPINIONOPINION on the essay on the essay topic. topic.

►Often, your Often, your THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT includes includes 3 REASONS3 REASONS (or points). (or points).

An Example of a An Example of a THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT

►Texting while driving should be against Texting while driving should be against the law in this and every state the law in this and every state due to due to the personal dangers, social dangers, the personal dangers, social dangers, and parental dangers posed by the and parental dangers posed by the practice.practice.

►What is the What is the yellow textyellow text??►OPINIONOPINION►What is the white text?What is the white text?►The The 3 REASONS3 REASONS

A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT is an is an assertion, not a statement of assertion, not a statement of

fact or an observation.fact or an observation.

►Fact or observation:Fact or observation: People use People use lawn chemicals. lawn chemicals.

►Thesis:Thesis: Use of lawn chemicals is Use of lawn chemicals is poisoning the environment, poisoning the environment, endangering animals, and toying endangering animals, and toying with nature.with nature.

A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT takes takes a stand rather than a stand rather than

announcing a subject. announcing a subject.

►Announcement:Announcement: The thesis of this paper The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems.environmental problems.

►Thesis:Thesis: Solving our environmental Solving our environmental problems will require us all to reduce, problems will require us all to reduce, reuse, and recycle. reuse, and recycle.

A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT is narrow, is narrow, rather than broad, so that rather than broad, so that it can be fully supported.it can be fully supported.

►BroadBroad:: The Apache Junction School The Apache Junction School District has many problems.District has many problems.

►ThesisThesis:: The primary problems of the The primary problems of the Apache Junction School District are Apache Junction School District are the lack of funds, the outdated the lack of funds, the outdated materials, and the lack of community materials, and the lack of community support.support.

A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT answers a question in the answers a question in the

prompt.prompt.► The Question: The Question: Do you think having a Do you think having a

Myspace page is beneficial for teens?Myspace page is beneficial for teens?► The Answer: The Answer: Having a Myspace page is Having a Myspace page is

beneficial for several reasons…beneficial for several reasons…►Note:Note: The The answeranswer above is the above is the OPINIONOPINION

portion of the portion of the THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT..►Often when writing Often when writing THESIS STATEMENTSTHESIS STATEMENTS, all , all

you need to do for the opinion portion is you need to do for the opinion portion is turn the question into a statement.turn the question into a statement.

Now You TryNow You Try►Write the Write the OPINIONOPINION portion of a portion of a THESIS THESIS

STATEMENTSTATEMENT that answers the following that answers the following prompt:prompt:

Should cell phones be completely Should cell phones be completely banned from schools?banned from schools?

Turn the question into a statement of Turn the question into a statement of your opinion.your opinion.

This is what that statement

should look like!►Cell phones should be completely

banned from schools.

►Do you see how the question was turned into a statement? Should cell phones be completely banned

from schools?►becomes

Cell phones should be completely banned from schools.

3 REASONS3 REASONS►Now, add Now, add 3 REASONS3 REASONS to the to the OPINIONOPINION

portion of your portion of your THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT about cell phones. Use the reasons about cell phones. Use the reasons listed below:listed below:

1.1. Cell phones promote cheating.Cell phones promote cheating.

2.2. Cell phones disrupt classes.Cell phones disrupt classes.

3.3. Cell phones distract students from Cell phones distract students from learning.learning.

The Finished The Finished ProductProduct

►Cell phones should be banned Cell phones should be banned completely from schools because completely from schools because they promote cheating, disrupt they promote cheating, disrupt classes, and distract students classes, and distract students from learning.from learning.

A A THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT contains contains 3 reasons3 reasons stated in stated in

parallel structureparallel structure..►What is What is parallel structureparallel structure??

►Parallel structure Parallel structure is when the is when the 3 3 REASONSREASONS (or points) have a very (or points) have a very similar structure.similar structure.

Parallel Structure Parallel Structure ContinuedContinued

►Cell phones should be banned Cell phones should be banned completely from schools because completely from schools because they they promote cheatingpromote cheating, , disrupt disrupt classesclasses, and , and distract studentsdistract students from from learning.learning.

►What are the verbs?What are the verbs?► promote, disrupt, distractpromote, disrupt, distract►What are the nouns?What are the nouns?► cheating, classes, studentscheating, classes, students

Another ExampleAnother Example►Drivers Ed. should be kept in schools Drivers Ed. should be kept in schools

because it develops necessary skills, because it develops necessary skills, helping parents, and it teaches helping parents, and it teaches healthy habits.healthy habits.

►What is wrong with this What is wrong with this THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT??► Yes, it Yes, it does notdoes not demonstrate demonstrate parallel structureparallel structure..

““it developsit develops necessary skills” necessary skills” ““helpinghelping parents” parents” ““it teachesit teaches healthy habits” healthy habits”

How Can We Fix It?How Can We Fix It?►Drivers Ed. should be kept in schools Drivers Ed. should be kept in schools

because it develops necessary skills, it because it develops necessary skills, it helps parents, and it teaches healthy helps parents, and it teaches healthy habits.habits.

►““it developsit develops necessary skills” necessary skills”►““it helpsit helps parents” parents”►““it teachesit teaches healthy habits” healthy habits”

Now You TryNow You Try►Write 2 reasons why the Write 2 reasons why the

underlinedunderlined parts are parallel. parts are parallel.

►““it developsit develops necessary skills” necessary skills”

►““it helpsit helps parents” parents”

►““it teachesit teaches healthy habits” healthy habits”

Now You TryNow You Try►Write 2 reasons why the Write 2 reasons why the

italicizeditalicized parts are parallel. parts are parallel.

►““it develops necessary it develops necessary skillsskills””

►““it helps it helps parentsparents””

►““it teaches healthy it teaches healthy habitshabits””

Now You FixNow You Fix► Fix the THESIS STATEMENT below so that it

demonstrates parallel structure.

My community has several high-quality features like great schools, it has friendly neighbors, and the scenery is beautiful.

Parallel StructureParallel Structure►My community has several high-My community has several high-

quality features: great schools, quality features: great schools, friendly neighbors, and beautiful friendly neighbors, and beautiful scenery.scenery.

►So why does this So why does this THESIS STATEMENTTHESIS STATEMENT now now demonstrate demonstrate perfect parallel structure?perfect parallel structure?

► It has three adjective-noun structures. It has three adjective-noun structures. [no verbs [no verbs

on this one]on this one]

Fix One MoreFix One More► Fix the THESIS STATEMENT below so that it

demonstrates parallel structure.

Students are successful in school when they are hardworking and responsible, also when they are respectful to their teachers and when they use lots of resources.

Parallel StructureParallel Structure►Students are successful in school

when they are responsible, respectful, and resourceful.

►The 3 REASONS now demonstrate parallel structure.

►The 3 REASONS are all adjectives that describe students.

Putting the Putting the Pieces TogetherPieces Together

Introductory Introductory ParagraphParagraph

1.1. Attention GrabberAttention Grabber

2.2. Background Background InformationInformation

3.3. ThesisThesis

The Writing The Writing PromptPrompt

►In recent years, concerns have In recent years, concerns have been raised about the safety of been raised about the safety of reading and writing text messages reading and writing text messages while operating a vehicle. Do you while operating a vehicle. Do you think it should be against the law think it should be against the law to text and drive? In a five-to text and drive? In a five-paragraph essay, persuade an paragraph essay, persuade an educated audience of your opinion educated audience of your opinion on the topic. on the topic.

Where do we begin our Where do we begin our introduction paragraph?introduction paragraph?

►With an attention grabber:With an attention grabber:

There are 40 million active “text There are 40 million active “text messagers” in America today.messagers” in America today.

This is an interesting fact that introduces This is an interesting fact that introduces the topic and gets the reader’s attention.the topic and gets the reader’s attention.

And the second thing And the second thing needed in an introduction needed in an introduction

paragraph?paragraph?►Background InformationBackground Information

Text messaging has been a form of Text messaging has been a form of contacting friends and family for nearly contacting friends and family for nearly a decade, but it has grown dramatically a decade, but it has grown dramatically in popularity in the last few years. in popularity in the last few years. Texting a friend has truly replaced Texting a friend has truly replaced calling or emailing a friend, and it is not calling or emailing a friend, and it is not uncommon for an individual to send 40-uncommon for an individual to send 40-plus messages a day. Used for personal plus messages a day. Used for personal and business reasons alike, texting is a and business reasons alike, texting is a regular part of many people’s day, even regular part of many people’s day, even something done while driving a car. But something done while driving a car. But there is a danger to this practice. there is a danger to this practice.

And the final piece… And the final piece…

►……the THESIS: the THESIS:

Texting while driving should be Texting while driving should be against the law in this and every against the law in this and every state due to the personal dangers, state due to the personal dangers, social dangers, and parental dangers social dangers, and parental dangers posed by the practice.posed by the practice.

Notice how the writer has stated an Notice how the writer has stated an OPINIONOPINION on the topic, has on the topic, has 3 REASONS3 REASONS to support to support the opinion, AND has the opinion, AND has parallel structureparallel structure. .

Putting it all Putting it all togethertogether There are more than 40 million active There are more than 40 million active

“text messagers” in America today. “text messagers” in America today. Text Text messaging has been a form of contacting messaging has been a form of contacting friends and family for nearly a decade, but it friends and family for nearly a decade, but it has grown dramatically in popularity in the has grown dramatically in popularity in the last few years. Texting a friend has truly last few years. Texting a friend has truly replaced calling or emailing a friend, and it is replaced calling or emailing a friend, and it is not uncommon for an individual to send 40-not uncommon for an individual to send 40-plus messages a day. Used for personal and plus messages a day. Used for personal and business reasons alike, texting is a regular business reasons alike, texting is a regular part of many people’s day, even something part of many people’s day, even something done while driving a car. But there is a done while driving a car. But there is a danger to this practice. danger to this practice. Texting while driving Texting while driving should be against the law in this and every should be against the law in this and every state state due to the personal dangers, social due to the personal dangers, social dangers, and parental dangers posed by the dangers, and parental dangers posed by the practice.practice.

Attention Grabber

Background Info

Opinion

3 Reasons